Sheldon Brown - U-Lock Technique
05-18-06 | 09:01 AM
#26
45 miles/week
Joined: Mar 2005
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From: Philadelphia, PA
Bikes: Jamis Aurora
Originally Posted by alanbikehouston
ALL cable locks are worthless, regardless of weight or price
Cable locks are perfectly good for one thing: Deterring opportunistic theft by non-professional thieves.
In my area, there are no professional bike thieves... for the same reason there are no snowmobile rental places. NO BUSINESS. You can't make a living stealing one bike a year.
However, there are teenagers, coworkers with twisted senses of humor, and petty thieves. Any one of those might take an unlocked bike (maybe just to move it somewhere so you don't know where it is, maybe to steal it) and would be deterred by a cable lock because they don't feel like / know how / have the tools to break ANY lock.
Also I still say that the "time to cut through the rim" is insignificant. Bolt cutters deflate the tube really really fast... even if you have a small pair that don't open far enough to get a grip on the tire, the valve stem works just as well. In my case I have a pair of 16" bolt cutters (16" long, could easily carry in a backpack). I just grabbed the tire and snip, instant deflation.
However I do agree with the statement that it's just a matter of buying time. I think any decent u-lock or the better chain locks and a reasonably well-thought-out locking method will reduce the odds of theft to lower than the odds of vandalism... and if the bike's locked outside, you can do nothing about vandalism.
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05-18-06 | 09:02 AM
#27
Senior Member
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The method works because a used top notch bike in good condition might sell for $100 on the street. Destroy the rear wheel it is worth nothing. You also cannot ride it away. I use allen skewers on my wheels too. I tend to think that some dim bulbs might think of a bike chained like this as a puzzle to be solved.
In NYC use a cable and U as SB suggests as there are dudes with sledge hammers that will take a shot at a lone U lock just to see if it will crack. It may not crack but will jam. What do you do then?
If possible removing the seat, skewers and clamps also makes the bike worthless or just hard to sell. I also put QR pedals on my bike. If I left it un chained you would usually get a bike with no seat, seat clamp, and pedals.
In NYC use a cable and U as SB suggests as there are dudes with sledge hammers that will take a shot at a lone U lock just to see if it will crack. It may not crack but will jam. What do you do then?
If possible removing the seat, skewers and clamps also makes the bike worthless or just hard to sell. I also put QR pedals on my bike. If I left it un chained you would usually get a bike with no seat, seat clamp, and pedals.
05-18-06 | 09:43 AM
#28
Originally Posted by Eggplant Jeff
...Cable locks are perfectly good for one thing: Deterring opportunistic theft by non-professional thieves.
Also I still say that the "time to cut through the rim" is insignificant. Bolt cutters deflate the tube really really fast... even if you have a small pair that don't open far enough to get a grip on the tire, the valve stem works just as well. In my case I have a pair of 16" bolt cutters (16" long, could easily carry in a backpack). I just grabbed the tire and snip, instant deflation.
However I do agree with the statement that it's just a matter of buying time. I think any decent u-lock or the better chain locks and a reasonably well-thought-out locking method will reduce the odds of theft to lower than the odds of vandalism... and if the bike's locked outside, you can do nothing about vandalism.
Also I still say that the "time to cut through the rim" is insignificant. Bolt cutters deflate the tube really really fast... even if you have a small pair that don't open far enough to get a grip on the tire, the valve stem works just as well. In my case I have a pair of 16" bolt cutters (16" long, could easily carry in a backpack). I just grabbed the tire and snip, instant deflation.
However I do agree with the statement that it's just a matter of buying time. I think any decent u-lock or the better chain locks and a reasonably well-thought-out locking method will reduce the odds of theft to lower than the odds of vandalism... and if the bike's locked outside, you can do nothing about vandalism.
Please lock up a bike using the Sheldon Brown method and try to steal it. Report back to us how long it took. Then, take a bike that has no rear wheel to every pawn shop in your city and try to pawn it. A pawn shop won't buy a bike without a rear wheel. It has no value to them. And, it screams "stolen bike", which means they are taking a risk, yet get something they can't sell.
But, please, tell us how your "cut the rear wheel" thing went. To make it fun, do it with the bike locked to a rack on a college campus. My guess: the campus police will show up looong before you get that bike ten feet from the rack. Kinda hard to ride a bike without a rear wheel.
05-18-06 | 10:02 AM
#29
Banned
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From: Ogopogo's shoreline
Bikes: LHT, Kona Smoke
Originally Posted by MetalClydesdale
I had to replace two rims because some a@#h$^%* decided to kick all my spokes out, but there's nothing you can do about that.
Hopefully karma has kicked out his teeth.
05-18-06 | 10:26 AM
#30
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2006
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From: Madison-ish
Bikes: 2003 Specialized Allez Elite
Originally Posted by alanbikehouston
Anyone with the vaguest interest in stealing bikes has a tool in his pocket that will open the typical cable in five seconds to thirty seconds. If a bike with a cable lock does not get stolen, it simply means it was parked next to a nicer bike.
Please lock up a bike using the Sheldon Brown method and try to steal it. Report back to us how long it took. Then, take a bike that has no rear wheel to every pawn shop in your city and try to pawn it. A pawn shop won't buy a bike without a rear wheel. It has no value to them. And, it screams "stolen bike", which means they are taking a risk, yet get something they can't sell.
But, please, tell us how your "cut the rear wheel" thing went. To make it fun, do it with the bike locked to a rack on a college campus. My guess: the campus police will show up looong before you get that bike ten feet from the rack. Kinda hard to ride a bike without a rear wheel.
Please lock up a bike using the Sheldon Brown method and try to steal it. Report back to us how long it took. Then, take a bike that has no rear wheel to every pawn shop in your city and try to pawn it. A pawn shop won't buy a bike without a rear wheel. It has no value to them. And, it screams "stolen bike", which means they are taking a risk, yet get something they can't sell.
But, please, tell us how your "cut the rear wheel" thing went. To make it fun, do it with the bike locked to a rack on a college campus. My guess: the campus police will show up looong before you get that bike ten feet from the rack. Kinda hard to ride a bike without a rear wheel.
I thought the purpose of the SB method was to reduce the chance of damage to the frame if a thieve tried to pry the lock open???? That way they only damage the rear wheel and not the frame. How I lock my bike depends on what I am locking to. I always lock up the frame but never just the rear wheel. It doesn't look secure and apperance is everything (well not everything but...).
05-18-06 | 10:28 AM
#31
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From: Madison-ish
Bikes: 2003 Specialized Allez Elite
Originally Posted by alanbikehouston
I use this method in the worst neighborhoods of the crime capital of the nation. No crook has even attempted to take my bike. Crooks are not very bright, but are not morons. When the "SB" method is used with a beefy mini u-lock, such as an OnGuard Pitbull, and the bike is locked to a thick steel pole set in concrete, the bike is not going anywhere.
Crooks are also lazy. There is always a bike nearby using a cable lock, or with the lock attached to only the front wheel, or locked with a u-lock bought at Wal-Mart. THOSE bikes can be stolen in under thirty seconds. No reason to bring in heavy duty tools, and spend ten or fifteen sweaty minutes struggling with a "SB" locked bike.
I have seen two bikes in downtown Houston with their frames turned into pretzels. If a u-lock from Wal-Mart is placed around the frame of a Wal-Mart bike, a crook can simply pick up the bike, and use its frame as a lever to pop the lock. The tubes on the frame of a Wal-Mart frame are stronger than the tubes on a Wal-Mart U-lock.
When a crook uses the "frame lever" method against a bike with a light weight frame, with paper thin tubing, locked with an OnGuard or Kryptonite U-lock, he ends up turning the frame into a pretzel, but fails to pop the lock.
In theory, a crook could remove the rear tire and tube, and use appropriate tools to cut the rear rim. Doing so would be time consuming, hard work, and would destroy the single most valuable component on the bike, as well as making the bike both impossible to ride, and impossible to easily sell.
How many bike owners use the "SB" method? From what I see in Houston, maybe one or two percent. The majority of bikes in Houston have cheapo locks that are attached to the wrong part of the bike, and attached to poles or racks that are even flimsier than the cheapo lock.
I saw a college student buying a $500 bike to park on campus. She was trying to chose between a $20 cable lock, and a $50 u-lock. She told me "I'm going to get the cable lock...that is what everyone at my school uses, and I can't afford the extra $30"
Which is the reason why her campus is the daily target of crooks seeking to steal nice bikes. I wonder if she can afford $500 to replace her new bike if she can't afford a decent lock?
Crooks are also lazy. There is always a bike nearby using a cable lock, or with the lock attached to only the front wheel, or locked with a u-lock bought at Wal-Mart. THOSE bikes can be stolen in under thirty seconds. No reason to bring in heavy duty tools, and spend ten or fifteen sweaty minutes struggling with a "SB" locked bike.
I have seen two bikes in downtown Houston with their frames turned into pretzels. If a u-lock from Wal-Mart is placed around the frame of a Wal-Mart bike, a crook can simply pick up the bike, and use its frame as a lever to pop the lock. The tubes on the frame of a Wal-Mart frame are stronger than the tubes on a Wal-Mart U-lock.
When a crook uses the "frame lever" method against a bike with a light weight frame, with paper thin tubing, locked with an OnGuard or Kryptonite U-lock, he ends up turning the frame into a pretzel, but fails to pop the lock.
In theory, a crook could remove the rear tire and tube, and use appropriate tools to cut the rear rim. Doing so would be time consuming, hard work, and would destroy the single most valuable component on the bike, as well as making the bike both impossible to ride, and impossible to easily sell.
How many bike owners use the "SB" method? From what I see in Houston, maybe one or two percent. The majority of bikes in Houston have cheapo locks that are attached to the wrong part of the bike, and attached to poles or racks that are even flimsier than the cheapo lock.
I saw a college student buying a $500 bike to park on campus. She was trying to chose between a $20 cable lock, and a $50 u-lock. She told me "I'm going to get the cable lock...that is what everyone at my school uses, and I can't afford the extra $30"
Which is the reason why her campus is the daily target of crooks seeking to steal nice bikes. I wonder if she can afford $500 to replace her new bike if she can't afford a decent lock?
05-18-06 | 11:26 AM
#32
45 miles/week
Joined: Mar 2005
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From: Philadelphia, PA
Bikes: Jamis Aurora
He probably means most valuable in terms of most valuable to the thief. A frame, while being more expensive, is probably harder to unload than a rear wheel.
Alan isn't listening to me... My point was there's no one in my area going around looking for bikes to steal. As such, there's no one with that magical cable opening tool in his pocket. If you leave your bike unlocked, someone may take it because they can. A cable stops that. It doesn't stop anyone who is determined.
Alan, on a campus, not a chance. My old college, no way would the cops catch a bike thief. I had a bike stolen, my girlfriend had one stolen, there were rusted out frames or wheels tied to the bike racks where the rest of the bike had been stolen... College cops might be the best when it comes to bike theft, but that doesn't make 'em good.
Plus depending how you cut the rim, you can still roll it along. You can't ride it, sure... but someone walking along with a backpack and a broken bike? You've got an excellent chance of getting away.
And don't be ********, I'm not going to try stealing a bike to prove a point on an internet forum. Neither are you. If I still had those old rims (which were trashed anyway) I WOULD cut 'em just to see how hard it is... but I don't, so we'll never know (unless you or someone else tries it). I can tell you from personal experience that cutting the tire (with an inflated tube inside it) was very short work.
Alan isn't listening to me... My point was there's no one in my area going around looking for bikes to steal. As such, there's no one with that magical cable opening tool in his pocket. If you leave your bike unlocked, someone may take it because they can. A cable stops that. It doesn't stop anyone who is determined.
Alan, on a campus, not a chance. My old college, no way would the cops catch a bike thief. I had a bike stolen, my girlfriend had one stolen, there were rusted out frames or wheels tied to the bike racks where the rest of the bike had been stolen... College cops might be the best when it comes to bike theft, but that doesn't make 'em good.
Plus depending how you cut the rim, you can still roll it along. You can't ride it, sure... but someone walking along with a backpack and a broken bike? You've got an excellent chance of getting away.
And don't be ********, I'm not going to try stealing a bike to prove a point on an internet forum. Neither are you. If I still had those old rims (which were trashed anyway) I WOULD cut 'em just to see how hard it is... but I don't, so we'll never know (unless you or someone else tries it). I can tell you from personal experience that cutting the tire (with an inflated tube inside it) was very short work.
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05-18-06 | 11:33 AM
#33
Almost Immortal
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From: Portland, Oregon
Bikes: 2004 Trek 7500FX
I lock mine as Sheldon recommends, with a Kryptonite Evolution Mini. I also use a Kryptoflex cable attached to the u-lock and wound through the frame, front wheel, and the anchoring object. To casual thieves this arrangement should look awfully "busy" and they'll almost assuredly move on to easier pickings. As to the more experienced bike-boosters, well, vigilance is the best defense. I take all removable bits away with me (lights, seat bag, etc.) and I never leave the bike unattended for more than a few minutes. It's my primary transport, and as such is an investment to protect as best I can.
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05-18-06 | 11:44 AM
#34
The duda man
Joined: May 2006
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From: Cobblers Knob, IN
I would think a casual theif would be deterred by about any lock, definately by any kryptonite brand lock, and really definately by a U type. I view the casual theif as one who wants the bike for himself, or to sell for $20 for some crack. A professional theif certainly knows the ways to lock a bike as well as any of us do. The pro will go for what's quick and marketable.
I've learned a lot in this thread and by looking over the locks on krypto's site. They are not all created equal. If I ever get a real bike, one you guys wouldn't laugh at, I'll certainly get a very good U bolt and a 2nd lock of some sort. Or not park outdoors.
I've learned a lot in this thread and by looking over the locks on krypto's site. They are not all created equal. If I ever get a real bike, one you guys wouldn't laugh at, I'll certainly get a very good U bolt and a 2nd lock of some sort. Or not park outdoors.
05-18-06 | 12:05 PM
#35
Devil's advocate
Joined: Feb 2006
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From: Oklahoma
Bikes: Surly Cross-Check, 1976 Schwinn Runabout, 1987 Schwinn Traveler
Originally Posted by Eggplant Jeff
Alan isn't listening to me... My point was there's no one in my area going around looking for bikes to steal. As such, there's no one with that magical cable opening tool in his pocket. If you leave your bike unlocked, someone may take it because they can. A cable stops that. It doesn't stop anyone who is determined..
Like I said, in a smaller city like mine and Jeff's where biking isn't popular, bike theft isn't rampant. The average meth head isn't going around with bolt cutters or a hack saw. It'd take them days to even find a bike to steal except for kid's bikes. But in someplace like Portland, I read about someone getting their Cross-Check stolen from inside their house. It's just different places.
I guess all I'm saying is the cable lock is adequete for where I live presently. This is supported by the guys at my LBS, one of which has been riding his bike exclusively, no car, for over 20 years here. I still plan to get a U-lock very soon; just because there is no bike thieves doesn't mean I should be lax in my locking practices. But right now, where I probably lock my bike up outside a total of three times a month, I'm not too concerned about a bike thief getting ahold of it.
And as for the groups of people or professionals going around and cleaning out whole racks, that goes back to the fact that if somebody wants your bike bad enough, they'll get it.
05-18-06 | 12:46 PM
#36
Arizona Dessert
Joined: Jun 2004
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From: AZ
Bikes: Cannondale SuperSix, Lemond Poprad. Retired: Jamis Sputnik, Centurion LeMans Fixed, Diamond Back ascent ex
Originally Posted by alanbikehouston
Cable locks are NOT locks.
Al
05-18-06 | 01:26 PM
#37
Senior Member
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keep arguing, it's sure to solve everything!
With the ongoing back-&-forth about locking the rear wheel, versus locking the bike, I will repeat myself: you can lock both at once. Just put the lock's shackle through the wheel and the chainstays, or the wheel and the seatstays. Best of both worlds, plus there's that much less space for lock-breaking tools to be inserted into the shackle.
05-18-06 | 01:32 PM
#38
Arizona Dessert
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From: AZ
Bikes: Cannondale SuperSix, Lemond Poprad. Retired: Jamis Sputnik, Centurion LeMans Fixed, Diamond Back ascent ex
Originally Posted by mechBgonI will repeat myself: [b
you can lock both at once.[/b] Just put the lock's shackle through the wheel and the chainstays, or the wheel and the seatstays. Best of both worlds, plus there's that much less space for lock-breaking tools to be inserted into the shackle.
Al
05-18-06 | 01:50 PM
#39
Senior Member
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Originally Posted by noisebeam
I use a mini-u-lock and do 'both' when there I can get the bike up close to the pole I am locking to. But a lot of times I can't fit both in the u-lock, so just do the wheel.
Al
Al
05-18-06 | 02:03 PM
#41
Arizona Dessert
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From: AZ
Bikes: Cannondale SuperSix, Lemond Poprad. Retired: Jamis Sputnik, Centurion LeMans Fixed, Diamond Back ascent ex
Originally Posted by mechBgon
If you can get the wheel and the pole, then you should be able to also get at least one seatstay too, right?
Al
05-18-06 | 02:37 PM
#42
Senior Member
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I usually pick parking meters, natural-gas pipes (cut THIS! 
), electrical mains or really beefy railings or posts. I know my "standard-sized" U-lock is technically a little more vulnerable than the mini versions, but since I fill it up with bike, it works pretty well.
), electrical mains or really beefy railings or posts. I know my "standard-sized" U-lock is technically a little more vulnerable than the mini versions, but since I fill it up with bike, it works pretty well.
05-18-06 | 02:47 PM
#43
52-week commuter
Joined: Mar 2005
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From: Washington, DC
Bikes: Redline Conquest, Cannonday, Specialized, RANS
Some random musings:
* Around here -- where bike thieves are numerouse, skilled and knowledgeable -- thieves have been known to cut through the frame to steal a bike with nice enough components. The rear wheel is nothing in comparison.
* A while back I threw away a ruined wheel. I easily broke the rim into pieces using my hands and feet so I could fit it in the trash can.
* When I bought my bike, the guy at the store made a big deal of showing me Sheldon's technique. Except he advocated not running the u-lock through the frame at all, just through the rear wheel. I say that's nuts, the weakest link is then the rear rim, which can be broken easily. I put a U-lock on the front wheel and the frame, and a cable lock on the rear wheel, frame, and seat.
* Around here -- where bike thieves are numerouse, skilled and knowledgeable -- thieves have been known to cut through the frame to steal a bike with nice enough components. The rear wheel is nothing in comparison.
* A while back I threw away a ruined wheel. I easily broke the rim into pieces using my hands and feet so I could fit it in the trash can.
* When I bought my bike, the guy at the store made a big deal of showing me Sheldon's technique. Except he advocated not running the u-lock through the frame at all, just through the rear wheel. I say that's nuts, the weakest link is then the rear rim, which can be broken easily. I put a U-lock on the front wheel and the frame, and a cable lock on the rear wheel, frame, and seat.
05-18-06 | 04:55 PM
#44
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From: North of the border, just
Bikes: Fuji Absolut '04 / Fuji 'Marlboro' Folder
The reason there's so much debating is that thieving is an intractable problem -- there is no final solution. But the way I look at it, SB owns way more bikes than most of us, and has more experience than most of us, so his technique is probably about as good as you're going to do short of carrying 30 lbs of locks with you.
Carrying a mini lock and a cable is an (almost) reasonable load on 20+ mile loops.
About chain stays -- in his photo it would be easy to include the stays with his single speed bike. But with a thicker pole, and a front derailleur, it starts getting technical. I do use this approach in some situations. But I do worry about accidentally knocking the front derailleur out of alignment.
About the bulldog mini lock, I sometimes feel like I'm going out to my car, fishing for my keys. The key even has a cute (though nearly useless) LED on it. If lock manufacturers really want to clean up, they should embed an "unlock" sound in the key so the cyclist can pretend to be opening their bike remotely -- just like for cars. Chirp! Chirp!
Carrying a mini lock and a cable is an (almost) reasonable load on 20+ mile loops.
About chain stays -- in his photo it would be easy to include the stays with his single speed bike. But with a thicker pole, and a front derailleur, it starts getting technical. I do use this approach in some situations. But I do worry about accidentally knocking the front derailleur out of alignment.
About the bulldog mini lock, I sometimes feel like I'm going out to my car, fishing for my keys. The key even has a cute (though nearly useless) LED on it. If lock manufacturers really want to clean up, they should embed an "unlock" sound in the key so the cyclist can pretend to be opening their bike remotely -- just like for cars. Chirp! Chirp!
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05-18-06 | 05:59 PM
#45
Chairman of the Bored
Joined: May 2004
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From: St. Petersburg, FL
Bikes: 2004 Raleigh Talus, 2001 Motobecane Vent Noir (Custom build for heavy riders)
Cables are only fine in a few scenarios:
1) accessories: this is the best use for a cable....securing saddles, racks, bottle cages, front wheels, etc.
2) when you are going to be in direct visual with the bike, and close proximity: Example is after a club ride, I might go get a bagel and some orange juice at the local coffee shop....lock the bike to a small tree with the cable, and I am about 15 feet away at a table, with direct view of the bike. The cable slows down a thief enough that I can look up, and deal with the prospective thief if this individual was to mess with my bike.
3) used in combination with a hardened chain or u-lock: this just adds one more layer of annoyance for the thief, possibly making the thief head for an easier score.
I would never use a cable lock for the following:
primary protection when not in direct view of the bike
primary protection when I am indoors, regardless of view
storage in a garage (again, out of view, and you are not in proximity of it)
For those apps, use a u-lock or a hardened chain, like the Kryptonite offereings. Some LBSs sell other brands as well, that offer good protection...look for a nice captive shackle padlock with your hardened chain...many of those roundish chromed "circular" captive shackle padlocks aren't very good....go for one with a heavily beefed up shackle armoring...if the lock itself does not weigh at least 1.5lbs, then I would be weary....hardened chains are supposed to be the big badass of locks, so it only makes sense to have teh best padlock on it as possible, so the chain itself is the weak link of the security device (and trust me, those chains are pretty darn tough....kept my bikes safe when locked in an alley for over a year in san jose...and some of them were pretty darn attractive to thieves)
1) accessories: this is the best use for a cable....securing saddles, racks, bottle cages, front wheels, etc.
2) when you are going to be in direct visual with the bike, and close proximity: Example is after a club ride, I might go get a bagel and some orange juice at the local coffee shop....lock the bike to a small tree with the cable, and I am about 15 feet away at a table, with direct view of the bike. The cable slows down a thief enough that I can look up, and deal with the prospective thief if this individual was to mess with my bike.
3) used in combination with a hardened chain or u-lock: this just adds one more layer of annoyance for the thief, possibly making the thief head for an easier score.
I would never use a cable lock for the following:
primary protection when not in direct view of the bike
primary protection when I am indoors, regardless of view
storage in a garage (again, out of view, and you are not in proximity of it)
For those apps, use a u-lock or a hardened chain, like the Kryptonite offereings. Some LBSs sell other brands as well, that offer good protection...look for a nice captive shackle padlock with your hardened chain...many of those roundish chromed "circular" captive shackle padlocks aren't very good....go for one with a heavily beefed up shackle armoring...if the lock itself does not weigh at least 1.5lbs, then I would be weary....hardened chains are supposed to be the big badass of locks, so it only makes sense to have teh best padlock on it as possible, so the chain itself is the weak link of the security device (and trust me, those chains are pretty darn tough....kept my bikes safe when locked in an alley for over a year in san jose...and some of them were pretty darn attractive to thieves)
05-18-06 | 06:07 PM
#46
Originally Posted by mechBgon
keep arguing, it's sure to solve everything!
With the ongoing back-&-forth about locking the rear wheel, versus locking the bike, I will repeat myself: you can lock both at once. Just put the lock's shackle through the wheel and the chainstays, or the wheel and the seatstays. Best of both worlds, plus there's that much less space for lock-breaking tools to be inserted into the shackle.
With the ongoing back-&-forth about locking the rear wheel, versus locking the bike, I will repeat myself: you can lock both at once. Just put the lock's shackle through the wheel and the chainstays, or the wheel and the seatstays. Best of both worlds, plus there's that much less space for lock-breaking tools to be inserted into the shackle.
If a crook uses "lift and twist" on a bike with a three pound frame and a Kryptonite or OnGuard U-lock, the seat tube turns into a pretzel. I've walked past at least two "pretzeled" bikes in downtown Houston this year. A sad sight.
One more reason I would never put a u-lock near the frame of my bikes.
05-18-06 | 07:02 PM
#48
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 6,956
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Originally Posted by MarkS
About chain stays -- in his photo it would be easy to include the stays with his single speed bike. But with a thicker pole, and a front derailleur, it starts getting technical. I do use this approach in some situations. But I do worry about accidentally knocking the front derailleur out of alignment.
If a crook uses "lift and twist" on a bike with a three pound frame and a Kryptonite or OnGuard U-lock, the seat tube turns into a pretzel. I've walked past at least two "pretzeled" bikes in downtown Houston this year. A sad sight.
One more reason I would never put a u-lock near the frame of my bikes.
One more reason I would never put a u-lock near the frame of my bikes.
If you look at the photo above, that would be a good technique if you can find a horizontal pipe or railing, because you cannot lift the bike at all.BTW here is a visual on what I mentioned about locking with my chain lock through my chainring, if anyone had trouble visualizing it. The weak point on this setup is that the padlock's keyway would be a cinch to drill out using any old rechargeable drill.
05-18-06 | 08:08 PM
#49
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Bikes: 2025 Enve Fray with SRAM Rival, 1984 Trek 720 with a Nexus hub, 2016 Cannondale Synapse
Originally Posted by mechBgon
BTW here is a visual on what I mentioned about locking with my chain lock through my chainring, if anyone had trouble visualizing it. The weak point on this setup is that the padlock's keyway would be a cinch to drill out using any old rechargeable drill.
I used to lock my motorcycle by using a heavy duty bright orange padlock through the disk brakes. Your lock on the chain ring reminds me of this. Seems like it could be pretty affective.
05-18-06 | 11:40 PM
#50
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Originally Posted by mechBgon
If you're routing the U-lock's shackle through the chainstays, then one leg of the shackle will be above the stays, and the other will be below them. Do it like shown in the photo below, and the leg that's above the stays should be safely away from your FD.
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Cars kill 45,000 Americans every year.
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This is like losing a war every year, except without the parades.